Gabriel's Not Okay
by Broken Twisted Lullabies
Summary: Gabriel's always worn a mask but everytime Sam bumps into him, he sees the cracks in it and begins to realize that the carefree trickster/archangel isn't okay. (Moved from my other account)
**A/N: Another Supernatural fanfic! I had this idea and for the past few days, was thinking how it would go as well as when I'd have time to type it because of school. Finally, a night free of homework, I can work on it! It's another Gabriel fic (because you can never have too many fics of our favourite Trickster!)**

* * *

Sam sighed, tearing his eyes away from his laptop and giving a stretch. The past few days had been tiresome for the younger Winchester and his brother, especially because the killings just didn't seem to make sense. They easily matched with one of a ghoul, but the most recent death just didn't fit, leaving the two hunters puzzled. Monsters didn't normally change their style, so that lead Sam to believe that maybe this wasn't a ghoul. Or, they weren't dealing with just a ghoul.

Giving yet another sigh, he stood up, knowing he needed some fresh air to clean his head. Between this hunt and the Apocalypse, he was beyond stressed.

"No luck, huh?" Dean has asked as he walked out of the small motel bathroom, noticing Sam's frustrated expression.

Sam shook his head. "You'd think with the whole Apocalypse issue, monsters would be less dickish and make life easier for us," he replied humorlessly, making his way over to the motel door.

"Like they'd cut us any slack. If anything, those assholes would only want to make things worse for us," Dean grumbled, sitting down at the table, pulling a book towards himself.

"I'm going to clear my head, walk around a bit, and drop by a library to see if we might've missed something."

"Call me if you find anything to help us gank this mother faster so we could get back to finding Pestilence and Death," Dean answered, now looking through the police report once more. This hunt was bothering both of them.

Sam just nodded, heading out and making his way to the town's small library, enjoying the calm cool breeze. It felt refreshing, something nice opposed to all the angels and demons crap they had been dealing with the past few weeks.

He hadn't been walking for too long when he passed by a small park, filled with laughing kids and a couple parents, something that made Sam smile. Hearing laughter definitely helped cheer him up, something slightly alien to Sam as he was usually used to screams. His eyes wandered around his surroundings when they stopped on a particular figure sitting on a park bench and Sam's blood went cold.

 _No. it couldn't be him._

He shook his head, blinking a few times as if to get rid of the illusion his brain was playing but the lack of sleep wasn't causing him to see things.

* * *

Gabriel sat on the old wooden park bench, eyes staring off into the distance as he was lost in his own thoughts – such a sight so rare, he could just imagine how his brothers would be in tears from laughing at his unGabriel-like behaviour. _Brothers_. He gave a shudder, drawing his invisible wings around himself as a frown appeared on his face. He couldn't help but drift back to the incident that had happened two days ago.

He tried to push it away, the pain tearing at his grace and he wanted desperately for the hurt to be gone. He was tired of it all.

Laughter was heard in the distance, from the children on the park, which only added to the Archangel's pain. He remembered when he used to be that carefree, laughing and joking around with his older brothers. Spending hours playing in Heaven, causing pranks with- no. Gabriel shook his head sadly, reminiscing of the good times. That was the past. He could never return to the "good old days" and that pained him.

A ragged sigh escaped the Trickster's mouth as he wondered if things would've been easier. The two idiots his little brother Cassie always hung out with hadn't opened his big brother's cage, starting the freaking _Apocalypse,_ and being one of the reasons he felt so… lost. _Broken_.

 _Pull yourself together!_ He scolded, and yet, the once perky Trickster couldn't. His usual grin was now twisted into a grim frown, shoulders hunched and just feeling overall tired. Sure, he had tried to lift his gloomy mood, serving one or two 'just desserts' to some of the townsfolks, but that didn't help at all. Gabriel still couldn't bounce back to his usual self and it bugged him, more than ever.

The mask he had worn for so long was cracking, slowly falling apart and Gabriel longed to fill the pit in his grace. To have wings wrapped around him, much like when he were a fledgling, and comfort him. Tell him everything would be fine. But that was before. Before the humans, the rebellion, the Fall, their father's abandonment.

Oh, how he wished he could fix this – he had spent years wishing, praying, _begging_ even, to have things improve – and every time he was disappointed and angry because his bastard of a father didn't care.

While wallowing in his misery, Gabriel didn't notice as a shadow fell over him, a voice saying in disbelief, "I thought you were dead!"

Lifting his head slowly, he found that none other than his brother's vessel, the freakishly large Sam standing – towering was more like it! – in front of him.

Instantly, a cocky grin reached his lips and he gave a laugh, one that secretly made him cringe. It was so forced it made him feel sick. "Dead? Me? Puh-lease Samsquatch! I'm not called the Trickster for nothing!" he exclaimed, watching as Sam only raised a brow. This definitely made Gabriel want to smack himself internally. _Of course the moose of a man just had to seem a bit suspicious of him. Great._

"What are you doing at a park? I mean, for one: it's odd, even for you, and two: it doesn't fit you," Sam asked and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"Like you know me kiddo. I could be looking for more dicks to serve just desserts to you as we speak." Gabriel tried to sound casual, hoping Sam hadn't noticed him, how he had been acting just moments before. But he could tell Sam knew something was up.

"Didn't look like that a few minutes ago," Sam pointed out, causing Gabriel to turn away and look over at the kids playing. The bench creaked ever so slightly as Sam sat down beside him. "You looked pretty upset, still do kind of."

Gabriel just scoffed, "You keep thinking that kiddo. I ain't upset! I'm actually having an amazing day!" His tone was cheerful, much like the one he usually used but Sam seemed to see right through it. _Damn you, you gigantic man!_ Gabriel cursed. _Why do you of all people have to care about him? Didn't he clue it to how many times he had killed Sam's brother? Surely Sam hadn't forgotten that that easily!_

"That's bull shit and you know it."

Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly, "so what? Why do you care all of a sudden?" His golden eyes then narrowed at he glared at the hunter suspiciously, not liking where the conversation was heading. Did Gabriel look like the touchy-feely type?

"I-I don't care, you just seemed a bit upset and considering you saved our asses back in Elysian Fields I-" Sam stammered, almost embarrassed as he tried to explain himself to Gabriel.

"Give it back to me!" A shrill voice cut off Sam and the two of them looked over at a young boy, no more than eight, arguing with another boy.

"It's my turn now David!" The slightly older boy yelled back. In his arms was a dump truck, one which they had previously been playing in the sand with.

"You got to play with it for a long time yesterday!" David whined. "It's not fair Josh!"

Josh just seemed to roll his eyes at the younger boy. "I'm older, that means, I get to play with it when I want, for how long I want!"

"I HATE YOU!" David yelled. "YOU'RE THE WORST BROTHER EVER!"

At that, Sam noticed Gabriel flinched at the fighting between the two boys. Eyes darting down ever so slightly as if he would be able to ignore what was going on between the two boys.

"Stop being such a baby!"

Seeing the pained look on Gabriel's face, Sam knew the Archangel was no longer seeing the two boys but his own older brothers, Michael and Lucifer fighting.

"Gabriel…"

Said Archangel just snapped his fingers and Sam watched as the fighting seemed to stop, the two boys working out the problem and playing together peacefully. The type of solution Gabriel wanted to happen between his own brothers but he knew it couldn't be fixed, especially not with a 'snap' and he would just have to suffer through it.

Sam blinked, not really expecting that from the Archangel/Trickster. The Gabriel he and Dean had dealt with so far would shrug off the arguing children; possibly even add to their arguing for the fun of it. Instead, he didn't. This really began to confuse Sam, having once been able to understand and almost go as far as predict what he would do, but now was unsure.

"Why'd you do it?"

Gabriel looked a bit confused, not quite sure what Sam was going at.

"The two boys," Sam clarified. "Why did you stop it? Nothing against that, of course, but it just doesn't seem like you," he added the last part quickly because the last thing he needed to do was offend Gabriel. He didn't need to have to watch his back for the next week encase a certain Trickster was feeling not so merciful.

All he got as an answer was a half shrug, Gabriel not wanting to reveal his true intentions behind it. What would he say? _Oh, I stopped it because of my two douchebag older brothers who would fight all the time while I sat there, helpless and unable to stop it but being able to do this, somehow cheers me up? That no brothers should say they hate each other and show such envy his own did?_ Please. Gabriel wasn't stupid.

"Gabriel look, I-" Sam began, brain slowly putting the pieces together. It wasn't because two little boys were fighting – Sam could only assume that any at other circumstances, Gabriel would've just ignored it and moved on – but rather _whom_ he saw fighting.

Gabriel shook his head, not wanting to hear the rest of the hunter's sentence. He knew what Sam would say next and that was something he didn't want to face. Not now. "Don't Sam, okay? Just don't."

Sam just nodded, heavy silence surrounding them but he begun to see the cracks in the mask Gabriel wore.

* * *

One week and three towns over, Sam once again bumped into the Trickster, this time at an empty park, no kids in sight.

"You know, I almost have the feeling you're following us," Sam joked, sitting down beside the short Archangel, who only just laughed.

"Follow you? Are you sure you're not following me? I mean, I know I'm pretty darn attractive Sammy and this is flattering, all the stalking, but it isn't the way to win me over, you know that!" A large grin was on his face, hand placed over his heart.

Sam gave a roll of his eyes at the Trickster's words. "You keep tell yourself that Gabriel." But, even as he said that, Sam could see hurt in Gabriel eyes – just slightly but it was still there – and began to notice the almost forced laugh and the slump of his shoulders. Something was definitely bothering him, not matter how stubborn he would be to argue he was fine. "How are you?" Sam asked honestly, catching Gabriel off guard.

"Fine?" Gabriel raised his eyebrows, surprised. _Sam actually was asking how_ he _was? And in a serious matter? Not jokingly? Oh Father!_ Gabriel cursed _. Sam knew something was_ _up._

"How are you?" Sam repeated, trying to continue the small talk. When Gabriel opened his mouth to respond, Sam added, "And so help me you say fine, you'll regret it!"

Gabriel smirked, "Regret it?" He gave a laugh, at the thought of Sam threatening him, _him_! He leaned in a bit closer, grinning wildly. "Whatcha gonna do, huh Sammich?"

Sam frowned, trying to think something up.

 _Ha!_ Gabriel grinned wider. He had stumped the hunter and was proud. At least he knew if Sam wasn't going to drop it, Gabriel would make it difficult for him.

"I'm an _Archangel_ and was a Pagan God at one point. You'd really have to do better than try to threaten me, especially since you don't have anything to hurt me." When Sam didn't answer, Gabriel laughed, knowing the younger Winchester was all bark no bite. "Nice try kiddo."

"Okay, fine," he rolled his eyes, shifting on the bench. "You…"

"I, what Sammy?" Gabriel practically purred.

"You win. For now." Taking a deep breath, and trying to ignore the childish reply Gabriel had given, he continued, "No, but seriously. This has to be-"

The Trickster sighed, looking away from Sam. The last thing Gabriel wanted was to tell Sam the true. After all, he had carried this for centuries and he was fine with it. Why speak able it. And to Sam of all people! "Sam," he said wearily, "I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"Why not?" Sam pressed and this began to frustrate Gabriel.

 _Why not?_ Why did the hunter feel that Gabriel _should_ share his feelings? If he wanted to keep it all in, he would do it.

"You obviously aren't Gabriel. Just talk to me about it," Sam said and Gabriel felt his anger rising, grace buzzing and his gold eyes seemed to glow.

"I DON'T WANT ABOUT IT, OKAY WINCHESTER? JUST GET THAT IN YOUR THICK SKULL!" He growled, causing Sam to inch over on the bench to give Gabriel space. Then, there was a ruffling of wings and Sam found himself sitting alone on the park bench, Gabriel building up his walls higher and choosing to chill in Europe for a bit.

* * *

About a week later, Sam finally began to think that maybe the Trickster _was_ following them. While on their way to Bobby's, they stopped at a small, nondescript town to deal with an easy haunting and once again, the hunter managed to stumble upon Gabriel at the park – why the park of all places, Sam couldn't figure out – not looking his cheerful self.

"I really do think you're following us," he said as he approached Gabriel, who at his voice smirked (but Sam could see it was a bit more forced than usual).

"Actually, Dean-o's just been calling me late at night so that I know what town to chill at, knowing you'll bump into me and he'll have an hour or so to have some fun with Cassie," Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows, causing Sam to shudder.

"Please don't. I don't need that image in my head," Sam replied with a groan. "Besides, that's not true." Gabriel's smile only grew larger at that.

"Oh, I don't know Sam-I-Am. I wouldn't agree with you. With the whole 'profound bond' thing going on between the two of them, you can't be too sure. It is the Apocalypse: desperate times, end of days…" He teased, letting Sam's imagination finish the sentence. Sam shook his head at what the Trickster was implying. "They might be at it right now!"

"You really do love to mess with me, huh?" Sam asked as Gabriel pulled out a chocolate bar and took a bite.

"Well ya. Can't kill ya or your big bro because of Mike and Luce but you two as a whole are by far the most interesting humans to prank! Especially you Sam!" He took another bite of his chocolate bar and Sam frowned.

"What's Heaven like?"

That caught Gabriel by surprise, causing him to choke on the chocolate. " _Heaven?"_ Gabriel coughed, clearing his windpipe.

"I mean me and Dean, we went there and met Joshua, and a few of our old friends but it was all just past memories, of all the good times. Seeing you were an Archangel, I was curious to know how Heaven looked to you and if… it's silly, forget about it," Sam said with a shake of his head, not continuing. He felt embarrassed to continue the sentence.

"If you'll go there where you die?" Gabriel asked, speaking what Sam was trying to say. "Kiddo, whether you're the vessel of Lucifer or not, you'll go to Heaven."

"H-How can you be so sure? Have you seen what I've done? I don't deserve to go to Heaven Gabriel," he admitted, and Gabriel felt bad for Sam. _Did the kid really only see the bad things he did? And did he truly think they were so bad to the extent his Father would give him a one way ticket downstairs?_

"You're way too hard on yourself kiddo. You've done way more good than evil, even if you refuse to see that," Gabriel admitted with a genuine looking smile. "Besides, I doubt Dad, whatever beach he has his ass on with a drink in hand would not let one of his most important humans not get the reward they deserve ultimately."

"Really? Uh, thanks Gabriel," Sam said with a smile, feeling a weight leaving his shoulders. It was a lot easier for him to know that he wouldn't be viewed just on the bad things he did.

Gabriel gave a shrug. Silence soon fell between them and for a while, the two of them, hunter, and Archangel just sat there. It was nice, sitting there in silence, without having to be pestered by Gigantor about the crap he was dealing with and yet, Sam's question about Heaven to Gabriel hit hard. Besides his brothers, Heaven was another thing Gabriel missed. He took a breath, looking down. "It was home," was the trickster's voice after a while. "Heaven, it was home. More stunning than earth – He never was able to recreate its beauty down here – and not like how all you humans imagine it just as tons of clouds," he continued and Sam listened quietly. "Home just describes it best. It's like your impala," Gabriel said, using the familiar car as a way to make Sam understand him better.

"I understand. I can't imagine how much-" His words soon faltered as he realized the Archangel was no longer paying any attention to him, instead, gazing upwards.

"Listen, I didn't mean-" But Gabriel was gone.

* * *

The fourth time Sam bumped into Gabriel (about two weeks later); he noticed Gabriel only looked worse. His eyes were dull, the spark that was in them before having died out and when Sam had sat down beside him, he didn't even look up.

"Don't say it. I know I look like shit," Gabriel spoke, his voice raspy and ragged. "Kinda why every mirror within a couple miles has shattered at my reflection." Sam could see how hard he was trying to be funny, but he only failed, seeming even more miserable.

"Wow, even your jokes are worse than usual," Sam teased, hoping to get some kind of reaction from the Archangel but Gabriel still hadn't even managed to look up. Now this really bothered Sam, seeing how broken the normally happy Archangel was.

"Gabriel, I don't know if you heard of what happened the last few months or so," he began, knowing the poor guy deserved to hear the truth, even if it'd hurt him even more.

"With Adam returning and Mikey using him as a meat suit?" he answered miserably, lifting his head to look at Sam. "Ya, the angels have been talking about it nonstop before I went up against Lucifer. I still… it's just hard to believe they'd actually do it, you know? Even though this happened a little while back, it's still hard to wrap my head around it. I mean, I understand. Michael definitely wants to win and is moving on. Kinda surprised he didn't do it sooner, knowing how stubborn Dean-o is." Gabriel tried to force himself to sound happy, cheerful even, but it just came out solemn. His eyes lacked their usual spark and Gabriel drew his wings around himself invisibly, pushing away tears. _This was it_ , he realized. Michael had a vessel, Sam would soon say yes. They were one step closer to the final fight, the day Gabriel had been dreading for eons, and eventually he'd lose one of his beloved brothers to the hand of the other.

"I won't say yes to Lucifer," Sam said, his voice breaking though Gabriel's thoughts and the hunter hoped it'd cheer him up. Help bring a smile to the broken Angel. "I'm not gonna sink down that low."

Gabriel only shook head, feeling worse. Sam actually was trying to cheer him up, make his feel like there was hope – _oh the irony! Giving faith to an angel!_ – but faith wouldn't do anything. This was the Apocalypse. Do-over buttons didn't exist and like Michael had told him, _'everything happens because of a plan.'_

"You can keep saying that Sam, but you can't outrun destiny. Might take days, maybe weeks or even months before you do, but you'll eventually say yes to Luci," he admitted, voice hollow. "It can't be avoided."

"You know, you talk all this crap about destiny and hating your brothers fighting but you don't do anything to fix it," Sam snarled at the Archangel and Gabriel had a hurt expression on his face.

"All you do is run."

Gabriel flinched at Sam's words. Yes, he did run when things got tough, but how dare Sam imply he was a coward! Gabriel growled, grace flaring dangerously as he bolted upwards, eyes narrowing. _How dare that small_ human _think_ he _knows better than him! He was an_ Archangel _! One of God's most fearsome creatures and this insignificant human thinks he can talk to him like that?_ Gabriel's wings ruffled angrily. "You don't think I've tried? You don't think I've prayed and begged for help, for my father to fix this, for my own brothers to just forgive each other? And do you know how many times my pleas fell to deaf ears, huh?" He spat. "To watch as things fall apart around you and you're helpless to fix it? I tried to stand up to my older brother and nearly got killed!"

"Well why don't you help us stop it then?" Sam said, standing up as well. "Instead you just sit back and do nothing."

"Do nothing? DO NOTHING?" Gabriel roared, air crackling from his grace. Not only did this human insult him, but accused Gabriel of being too weak to do something? That Gabriel didn't care about his own family being torn apart? _Sam Winchester, you are barking up the wrong tree and you'll regret this_. A humorless laugh escaped Gabriel's mouth.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO WATCH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE ATTACK EACH OTHER, TEAR APART AT EACH OTHERS THROATS FOR YEARS, _YEARS_ AND NOBODY IS TRYING TO STOP IT? THAT YOU SEEM TO BE THE ONLY WHO GIVES A RAT'S ASS ABOUT THE FIGHTING? HUH?" His voice got louder as he took a step closer to Sam.

"AND THEN BE LIED TO CONSTANTLY THAT _'EVERYTHING'LL BE FINE'_ OVER AND OVER WHEN YOU KNOW FOR A FACT IT WON'T! IT ONLY ENDED UP GETTING WORSE, AND I HAD TO WATCH MY BROTHERS BECOME ANIMALS, HEARING THEM GO ON FOR HOURS, BLADES CLASHING, BLOOD, AND GRACE RUNNING FROM THEIR WOUNDS!"

As Sam listened, his anger seemed to die down slightly. Taking a step backwards, he understood to what Gabriel was saying. He swallowed. "Gabriel-"

"I WATCHED THEM TURN ON EACH OTHER SAM! I WAS THE ONE WHO BEGGED GOD TO HELP AND IN RETURN HE TOLD MICHAEL TO THROW LUCIFER IN THE CAGE! THAT BASTARD LET EVERYTHING FALL APART AND THEN WALKED OUT ON US! I SAW THE FEAR IN LUCIFER'S EYES, I WATCHED AS MICHAEL AND RAPHAEL BECAME SO CONSUMED WITH GRIEF THAT THEY DIED THE SAME DAY LUIFER FELL!" Gabriel was now shaking, hands curled into tight fists and tears in the corners of his eyes.

"DO YOU THINK I DIDN'T TRY FOR DECADES, _MILLENUIMS_ TO FIX THIS? SO DON'T YOU _DARE_ EVEN TRY TO TELL ME WHAT I'M DOING AND WHAT I'VE DONE IS WRONG BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T EVEN FELT CLOSE ENOUGH TO WHAT I'VE FELT. THE PAIN I'VE CARRIED FOR MILLENUIMS!" His voice cracked on the last word, wings invisibly open and arching high above his head (which if any angel saw, would be terrified to even get within forty feet of him) and tears falling down his cheeks.

The words hit like a ton of bricks, shocking Sam to the core. He never understood exactly how bad it had been from Gabriel. He suddenly felt guilty for what he had said earlier. Sam took a few steps, wrapping his arms around the shaking Archangel, pulling him into a tight hug.

Half expecting Gabriel to pull away, it came as a surprise when Gabriel returned the hug. A snap could be heard and Sam watched as the world around them froze, just before Gabriel broke down, sobbing into Sam's shirt.

"I'm sorry Gabriel," he said softly as the Archangel cried, looking down at the shaking angel.

Gabriel didn't respond, instead, curling his wings around Sam and continuing to sob his heart out, grace crying out as well. Even though Sam couldn't see his wings, he felt a faint tickling on his arms, leading his to guess that it might've been from the Archangel's wings.

"I-I tried Sam. I tried so h-h-hard, for y-years!" Gabriel wailed, all the memories rushing back to him.

"I'm sure you did Gabriel," Sam reassured, patting Gabriel's back.

"B-but they d-d-didn't listen! They just k-kept fighting!"

"I'm sorry Gabriel. I really am." Sam couldn't even imagine what Gabriel had gone through, what he was still going through because of him and Dean. "You don't deserve to have to see your brothers try to kill each other."

Gabriel let out a sob, burying his face into Sam's shirt, small body trembling and Sam's soothing tone only made him cry harder. Lucifer would to the same thing for him, hug him tight and hold Gabriel while he cried, comforting him. The mask he had spent so long making, keeping fortified, had crumbled to dust and Sam could truly see the real Gabriel, all the emotions and pain he had kept bottled up for God knowns how long.

Sam just stood there, hugging Gabriel as he wept; his sobs eventually dying down to hiccoughs and slowly, Gabriel lifted his head. Eyes red and cheeks tear stained, he gave a whimper. "I-It's… it's hard, having to go through this again." Gabriel swallowed back another sob. "I just want it to be over, to h-have my b-brothers back again b-but…but I can't."

Sam tried to run soothing circles into Gabriel's back, sighing. "I really wish things could've been different, that I hadn't messed up and freed Lucifer."

Gabriel soon pulled away, shuffling his feet. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that," he mumbled, sounding embarrassed.

"It's fine Gabe. You needed a hug. Believe me," Sam replied with a small smile. "You don't need to seem embarrassed."

Gabriel nodded, a few tears still falling down his cheeks and he had a hurt puppy look on his face. He sniffled, a few stray tears running down his cheeks as he thought of his older brothers, knowing it would soon happen, he would lose one of his older brothers. For good.

"I understand why you left," Sam admitted and Gabriel nodded, looking down at his feet.

"I miss home, I miss Heaven dearly and my brothers and sisters as well. Hell, I even miss Dad! But I had to leave. It just wasn't the same anymore."

"Why don't you go back though? Try to fix things and reason with your brothers?" Sam asked. "If you tell them how much this hurts you, they'll listen, right?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I'm the baby of the Archangel's Sammy, they wouldn't listen to me. Besides, Michael's as stubborn as Dean, so trying to convince him that _he's_ the one being childish would be nearly impossible! And Lucifer? Don't even get me started on his pride," he explained, sniffling. "Of course I want to back home, but it's just not the same without my brothers."

Sam pulled him in for another hug when he noticed Gabriel begun to tremble again – which the Archangel gladly accepted – holding him close. Nobody deserved to feel the pain Gabriel was experiencing. Ever. "What if while trying to trap Lucifer, we got Michael with him. Get the two of them to talk-"

"Which wouldn't work," Gabriel grumbled, pressing his face into Sam's damp shirt. Sam chose to ignore his comment and continued.

"- and if it doesn't work, then we toss down the Horsemen's rings and trap them both in the cage to work things out."

Gabriel looked up at him, swallowing and feverishly scrubbing at the tears on his cheeks. He looked like he was going to say something before stopping. Then very slowly, he gave a small nod. "That could work," he finally said, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "You got all the rings?"

Sam frowned, "Almost, we just need Death's."

"Leave that issue to me. You and Dean just set everything else up and I'll meet you in Lawrence," Gabriel replied, confusing Sam.

"Lawrence?"

"Ah, ah, ah, can't say why exactly Sam-a-lam!" The trickster said jokingly, slowly beginning to look more cheerful but Sam could understand that the whole Trickster thing was his way to hide the pain. Then, the trickster façade dropped and a genuine smile appeared on Gabriel's lips. "Thanks. For everything."

And with a fluttering of wings, the Archangel was gone.

 **A/N: The ending is a bit iffy with me, because for the longest time, I kept trying to run it over and over in my head on the way home from school. Does it work?**

 **EDIT: Fixed the ending! I like it a lot more now and it definitely fits Gabe's character better!**

 **Besides that, anyone seen the Mid-Season finale for Supernatural? Oh my Chuck! Luci's back! Amara, Dean, Sammy's trapped in the makeshift cage with Lucifer, God and Michael most likely returning?! All we now need is our favourite trickster/Archangel to return! Then everything will be perfect!**

 **-Ally**


End file.
